Device for evaluating signals
A welding system includes a device for evaluating an ultrasonic signal during a welding process. The device has a meassured value evaluation unit that, in normal operation, evaluates at least one measurement signal that is derived from an ultrasonic signal and is located inside a measurement window. A mechanism for establishing the measurement window is provided, which establishes the measurement window according to a measurement signal that is received in a calibration operation.
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A method for assessing resistance-welded joints is made known in German Patent Application DE-A 43 25 878. In order to assess welds during the welding process itself, the ultrasonic permeability, or attenuation, of the welded joint is determined by acting upon said welded joint with shear waves. To accomplish this, the mean ultrasonic energy is determined from the output signal from the ultrasound receiver during each current half-cycle of the welding current within a time window that is delayed relative to the constant ultrasonic transmitted signal by a defined delay time. The mean ultrasonic energy is used as a measure of the quality of the welded joint. How the time window is selected and the time interval by which it should be delayed relative to the ultrasonic transmitted signal are left open, however.
The object of the present invention is to provide a device that allows the measurement window to be automatically adapted to different measurement situations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe device, according to the present invention, for evaluating signals has a measured value evaluation unit that, in normal operation, further processes at least one measurement signal that is derived from an ultrasonic signal and is located inside a measurement window. According to the present invention, means for establishing the measurement window are provided that establish the measurement window according to a measurement signal that is received in a calibration operation. By taking the measurement signal into account immediately when selecting the measurement window, situations that are different in terms of environmental conditions can be taken into account automatically. In addition, the measurement window need not be manually adjusted anew each time. The measurement window is adjusted automatically before the beginning of the particular process, which is controlled by the measured value detection unit. As a result, less-qualified workers can also work with the corresponding measurement and controlling devices. In addition, the device can be used to indicate possible sources of error at an early point in time. When used for a resistance-welding system in particular, statements can be made at an early point in time about possible electrode wear. Additionally, welding tongs can be inspected during a pause in production.
In an advantageous further development, detection of elapsed time is provided that establishes the measurement window according to the elapsed time of the measurement signal. By taking into account the elapsed time based on a transmitted signal that effects the measurement signal, the measurement window can be matched to the particular process, since the process may influence the elapsed time. The accuracy of the evaluation method is increased as a result.
An advantageous further development provides a zero transition point determination of the measurement signal, with which the period interval of the measurement signal is determined, and that can also be used to establish the measurement window. The measurement window preferably begins and ends at a zero transition point. In addition, statements can also be made about whether the frequencies of the transmitted signal and the measurement signal that are capable of being determined in this manner approximately match. The measurement window is established such that those measured values are taken into account whose frequency and period interval approximately match those of the transmitted signal. As a result, only meaningful measured values are evaluated.
In an advantageous further development, an extreme value determination of the measured signal is provided, the output signal of which is used to establish the measurement window. The measurement window can now be selected such that the extreme values (maximum, minimum) of the measured values are located within the measurement window and are used for further processing.
In an advantageous embodiment, the measured value is an ultrasonic signal that is evaluated in order to assess the quality and/or control of a welded joint, in particular a resistance-welded joint.
Additional advantageous further developments result from further dependent claims and from the description.
An exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawing and will be described in greater detail hereinbelow.
A first welding electrode 11 is acted upon with a current i. An ultrasonic transmitter 14 is situated on the first welding electrode 11. An ultrasound receiver 16 is situated on the outer wall of a second welding electrode 12. A first piece of sheet metal 21 and a second piece of sheet metal 22—that are joined by a weld point 18—are located between the two electrodes 11 and 12. The ultrasonic transmitter 14 is acted upon by a transmitted signal US that is made available by a transmitter control unit 24 according to a trigger signal Trig from a welding control unit 28. The transmitted signal US is guided through the first electrode 11, the first and second pieces of sheet metal 21, 22, the welding spot 18 and through the second electrode 12 to the ultrasound receiver 16. The ultrasound receiver 16 sends a measurement signal Ue to a signal detection unit 26. The signal detection unit 26 forwards the detected measurement signal further to a signal processing unit 30.
The design of the welding control unit 28 and the signal processing unit 30 is shown in greater detail in
In normal operation, the resistance welding system is acted upon with a discontinuous current I having sinusoidal half-waves (
The establishment of a measurement and/or interference window tm1, tm2, tS1, tS2 is described with reference to the flow chart in
Otherwise, the elapsed time tL between the transmitted signal US and the measurement signal Ue is determined by the elapsed time determination unit (Step 115). The trigger point Trig and, therefore, the start of the transmitted signal US, is known. The trigger signal starts a counter that serves to detect time. The counter is not stopped until the amplitude of the measurement signal Ue exceeds a certain threshold value in terms of amount. This threshold value is selected such that interfering signals are not detected. The elapsed time tL determined in this manner is shown in
Subsequently, the zero transition point determination unit 37 determines the zero transition points of the amplitude of the measurement signal Ue (Step 119). The instants at which the amplitude of the measurement signal Ue assumes the value “zero” are therefore known. Based on the instants at which the zero transition points occur, the associated period intervals and frequencies can be determined and stored (Step 121). With a sinusoidal measurement signal Ue, the three first measured values form the first period interval, the reciprocal value of which corresponds to the frequency of the measurement signal Ue. The second period interval results from the third to fifth zero transition point with associated frequency. In this manner, it is possible to associate frequencies with the particular positive and negative half-waves. The frequency of the transmitted signal US is known as well. The frequencies determined in Step 121 are compared with the transmit frequency of the transmitted signal US (Query 123). If the transmit frequency and measurement signal frequency deviate from each other only slightly, a meaningful measurement signal Ue was obtained. Otherwise an error message is output in Step 125.
In Step 127, “half-wave measured values” are then calculated from the course of the measurement signal Ue over time that was determined in Step 115. The root-mean-square value, the arithmetic mean or another measure of the energy content of a half-wave of the measurement signal Ue is determined as the half-wave measured value. The appropriate half-wave measured value is therefore available for every half-wave (positive or negative) of the measurement signal Ue.
In subsequent Step 129, the two first greatest half-wave measured values in succession are determined by the extreme value determination unit 39 by the fact, for instance, that the root-mean-square value of the measurement signal Ue exceeds a specifiable threshold. In the signal trace according to
The width of the interference window tS1, tS2 also matches the width of the measurement window tm1, tm2. The starting point of the interference window is selected such that the interference window tS1, tS2 is located within the elapsed time tL of the measurement signal Ue, in order to prevent the interference window tS1, tS2 and the measurement window tm1, tm2 from overlapping. The end tS2 of the interference window is preferably located temporally ahead of the first zero transition point. The positions of the measurement and interference window tm1, tm2, tS1, tS2 are stored (Step 141). In addition, the limit values for monitoring the measurement signal Ue, for example, are established (Step 143). Based on the maximum value of the measurement signal Ue located in the measurement window, a first limit value can be used for the monitoring of the measurement signal Ue that occurs in the interference window, e.g., the first limit value is 20% of the extreme value. If the measurement signal Ue in the interference window exceeds the limit value, this is an indication of an error. The program sequence for automatically establishing the measurement window is therefore ended (Step 145).
The settings of the interference window tS1, tS2 and the measurement window tm1, tm2 are retained for the subsequent welding process. In on-going operation, the ultrasonic transmitter 14 is always activated in the non-energized phase (I=0) when the trigger signal Trig appears. The measured values that are located within the measurement window tm1, tm2 are then evaluated to determine the attenuation or permeability D of the welded joint. To accomplish this, the energy content is determined, e.g., via the root-mean-square of the two half-waves, as described hereinabove in conjunction with Step 131. A first attenuation or permeability D0 occurs at the first trigger point T0, a second attenuation or permeability D1 occurs at the second trigger point T1, and so on. By selecting the measurement window tm1, tm2 in purposeful fashion and evaluating the temporal course of the measurement signal Ue located only within this measurement window tm1, tm2, it is ensured that only suitable measurement signals Ue are used in the determination of the attenuation or permeability curve D.
In the welding control unit 28, the attenuation or permeability curve D according to
Claims
1. A welding system, comprising:
- a device for evaluating an ultrasonic signal during a welding process, having a measured value evaluation unit (43) that, in normal operation, evaluates at least one measurement signal (Ue) that is derived from an ultrasonic signal and is located inside a measurement window (tm1, tm2, tS1, tS2), wherein at least one measurement signal (Ue) determination means (35, 37, 39) for establishing the measurement window (tm1, tm2, tS1, tS2) is provided that establish the measurement window (tm1, tm2, tS1, tS2) according to a measurement signal (Ue) that is received in a calibration operation,
- further comprising a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein material to be jointed is situated between the first electrode and second electrode, such that the material is accessible from two sides, wherein a zero transition point determination unit (37) is provided that determines the zero transition point of the amplitude of the measurement signal (Ue), whereby the measurement window (tm1, tm2, tS1, tS2) is established according to an output signal from the zero transition point determination unit (37).
2. The welding system as recited in claim 1, wherein an extreme value determination unit (39) is provided that determines at least one extreme value of the amplitude of the measurement signal (Ue), whereby the measurement window (tm1, tm2, tS1, tS2) is established according to an output signal from the extreme value determination unit (39).
3. The welding system as recited in claim 2, wherein the output signal from the extreme value determination unit (39) is compared with a limit value to generate an error signal.
4. The welding system as recited in claim 1, wherein a trigger generator (33) is provided that initiates the emission of a transmitted signal (US) that effects the measurement signal (Ue).
5. The welding system as recited in claim 1, wherein the measurement signal (Ue) is used by the device to assess a welded joint (18).
6. The welding system as recited in claim 1, wherein the device processes an ultrasonic signal, wherein said ultrasonic signal is composed of transverse waves and/or longitudinal waves.
7. The welding system as recited in claim 1, wherein the output signal from the measured value evaluation unit (43) is forwarded to a control unit (28) to generate a characteristic variable (I).
8. The welding system as recited in claim 7, wherein a trigger generator (33) initiates the emission of the transmitted signal (US) according to the characteristic variable (I).
9. The welding system as recited in claim 1, wherein an elapsed-time determination unit (35) is provided that detects the elapsed-time (tL) of the measurement signal (Ue) in reaction to a transmitted signal, whereby the measurement window (tm1, tm2, tS1, tS2) is established according to an output signal (tL) from the elapsed-time determination unit (35).
10. The welding system as recited in claim 9, wherein a trigger generator (33) is provided that initiates the emission of a transmitted signal (US) that effects the measurement signal (Ue).
11. The welding system as recited in claim 9, wherein the output signal from the elapsed-time determination unit (35) is compared with a limit value to generate an error signal.
12. The welding system as recited in claim 1, wherein the output signal from the zero transition point determination unit (37) is compared with a limit value to generate an error signal.
13. The welding system as recited in claim 1, wherein the output signal from the zero transition point determination unit (37) is compared with a limit value to generate an error signal.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Feb 12, 2002
Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
Patent Publication Number: 20040107774
Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH (Stuttgart)
Inventor: Volker Arndt (Erbach)
Primary Examiner: John E. Chapman
Attorney: Michael J. Striker
Application Number: 10/469,463
International Classification: G01N 29/20 (20060101); B23K 11/25 (20060101);